So much for the preseason. Yes, the Eagles sparkled in the summer sun.
Then they forgot to show up for the first half of their prime-time, Monday night opener in Atlanta.
A furious second half rally fueled by the pinpoint passing of Sam Bradford sailed wide – in the form of Cody Parkey’s field goal try that would have given the Birds the lead with 2:30 left in the game. The result was a dispiriting 26-24 loss.
Let’s review what went wrong in that first half:
• The Eagles were clearly off their game in the first half. If you ask me, they played like a team whose regulars did not play that much in the preseason.
• Nowhere was that more evident than with Bradford and his receivers. Remember, it was the former No. 1 draft pick’s first NFL game in nearly two years. He’s recovering from back-to-back ACL tears in his left knee. He clearly was not on the same page with his receivers, in particular Zach Ertz and Josh Hoff. Nor surprisingly, neither of them played that much in the preseason either.
• The offensive line was a mess. Running was nearly impossible. Chip Kelly pulled an ‘Andy Reid’ and abandoned the run.
• The Eagles two big acquisitions to replace LeSean McCoy – DeMarco Murray and Ryan Matthews – were a non-factor.
• On defense, it’s clear the Eagles do not get pressure on the opposing QB unless they blitz. In the 1st half, Matt Ryan sat back and picked them apart.
• Byron Maxwell, paid $63 million to be a shutdown corner, clearly was not on Monday night. He was left alone on Julio Jones and was repeatedly burned.
• Penalties. Way too many of them.
• Cody Parkey. Bottom line? Even with everything else that went wrong, he’s got to make that kick. He’s a problem who is about one more miss from being unemployed.
I know it’s only Week Two of a long NFL season. But I think the Eagles already are looking at a “must-win” game. They don’t want to fall to 0-2 at the same time the hated Cowboys go 2-0. In addition, both of their losses would be in the conference, and that’s always a problem. Thankfully, I don’t think that’s going to happen. Look for Murray, who’s smartly been playing it low-key all week, to exact some revenge on his old mates with a huge game. But the key is still Bradford. Anyone who watched that second half knows exactly why Kelly was willing to part with Nick Foles and a 2nd round draft pick to get him. He’s the real deal, in line for a monster year if he stays healthy.
The Pick: Make it Eagles 31, Cowboys 26. Bradford will lead the Birds precision passing game, perfectly complimented by Murray and Matthews. Look for Ertz to have a big game as he and Bradford get acquainted. The defense will play better, not great, but good enough for the win.
Last Week: Dick Vermeil once said you’ve got to beat the teams you’re supposed to. The Eagles are a better team than the Falcons. They had no business losing. I certainly didn’t see that one coming. Now they have little room for error.
Season Record: The Birds are sitting in the hole at 0-1. They really don’t want to start “oh-and-two.” I joined them in the loss column and am 0-1 one game into a long season.
Game by Game: Falcons 26, Eagles 24. (My Pick: Eagles 37, Falcons 26)
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